1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of wind energy, and more specifically, to a wind energy system and a method for using the wind energy system to store energy, mine metals, produce hydrogen and decontaminate water.
2. Description of the Related Art
The majority of the existing wind turbines use horizontal axis turbines. These turbines drive an electrical machine typically through a high ratio gearbox. The extracted power is processed fully, as in the case of permanent magnet generators, or partially by means of slip recovery, as in the case of doubly fed induction generators. In both cases, the electrical machine, associated gearbox, coupling and clutch are located in the nacelle on top of the tower. This has the consequence of requiring a larger tower and associated structure.
In a conventional wind farm energy system, the electrical energy is generated by a cascade of units so that if one of these units fails, operation is interrupted immediately. In addition, the cost and complexity of a maintenance action are significant due to the fact that the gearbox and generator are on the top of a fixed tower that cannot be lowered. Furthermore, the electrical power generated by the conventional wind turbine fluctuates with time as a function of the wind prevailing condition. In some instances, when the wind velocity falls below or rises above certain thresholds, energy production ceases. Because this availability of energy is fluctuating, it cannot be relied upon for sustained energy supply.
The present invention overcomes these and many other limitations of conventional wind energy systems, and it also provides significant advantages in terms of size, cost and ease of installation. Structural disadvantages of conventional wind energy systems include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) the turbines only turn to face the prevailing wind on a horizontal axis; (ii) they do not include a mechanism for reducing driveline mechanical drag relating to available wind speed; (iii) they do not provide a system for absorbing fluctuations in wind power so as to provide a constant level electrical power output; (iv) the rotor blades tend to vibrate excessively and suffer from asymmetrical torque effect, which increases driveline maintenance and limits placement options for the turbines; (v) they do not include an integrated energy storage system, which enables a controlled energy output without the loss of energy; (vi) the single generator and gearbox located in the nacelle are very heavy and difficult to maintain; (vii) the coupled driveline does not allow the generators to be driven independently of the rotor system; (viii) there is no hybrid power option for constant energy supply; (viii) they do not incorporate load sensors that automatically adjust the tower height based on load stress or wind speed, thereby avoiding the need to turn rotors off and cease energy production; and (ix) the towers are not able to be lowered for maintenance. In addition to solving all of the above problems, the present invention incorporates a bat deterrence system that is not found in any existing wind energy systems.
Examples of patented prior art wind energy systems (or inventions relating to wind energy systems) include: U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,723 (Browning, 1976) entitled “Windmills”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,979 (Germain, 1977) entitled “Energy Storage and Conversion Technique and Apparatus”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,010 (Lawson-Tancred, 1981) entitled “Electric Power Generation”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,779 (Knecht, 1983) entitled “Wind Driven Heating System”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,447,738 (Allison, 1984) entitled “Wind Power Electrical Generator System”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,846 (Parkins, 1985) entitled “Power Generation From Wind”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,847 (Parkins, 1985) entitled “Power Generation From Wind”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,017 (Parkins, 1985) entitled “Generating Power From Wind”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,801 (Wilson, 1987) entitled “Wind Turbines”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,183,664 (McClintic, 2007) entitled “Methods and Apparatus for Advanced Wind Turbine Design”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,418,820 (Harvey et al., 2008) entitled “Wind Turbine With Hydraulic Transmission”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,436,086 (McClintic, 2008) entitled “Methods and Apparatus for Advanced Wind Turbine Design”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,569,943 (Kovach et al., 2009) entitled “Variable Speed Wind Turbine Drive and Control System”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,656,055 (Torres et al., 2010) entitled “Hydro-Wind Power Generating Turbine System and Retrofitting Method”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,863,767 (Chapple et al., 2011) entitled “Turbine Drive Electric Power Production System and a Method for Control Thereof”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,877,992 (Chen, 2011) entitled “Hydraulic Power Generation System Driven by Compression Air Produced by Fluid”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,932,620 (Plant, Jr., 2011) entitled “Windmill Utilizing a Fluid Driven Pump”; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,944,078 (Wang, 2011) entitled “Wind Turbine With Hydro-Transmission.”